# A Wyandotte Nation Publication (2020)

> Briefs, arguments, decisions, and more.

URL: https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Awyandotte%3Af79e68852ec9a763

## Record

- **Collection:** Tribal code
- **Document type:** Tribal code

## Text

The Turtle Speaks

Gyah’-Wish
Atak-ia
A Wyandotte Nation Publication

Volume 24, Issue 2

www.wyandotte-nation.org

May 2020

See inside for the
latest news and
adjustments due to
COVID-19

A New Reality

Wyandotte Nation makes changes to
help stop spread of virus
Gyah’-wish Atak-ia is published quarterly for
Tribal Citizens by the Wyandotte Nation at its
headquarters in Wyandotte, Okla.
The Wyandotte Nation
64700 E Hwy 60
Wyandotte, OK 74370

(918) 678-2297
(800) 256-2539
Fax (918) 678-2944

Inside:
•

First classes graduate from Wyandotte

•

Tribal Department Reports

YOUniversity

(C) Copyright 2020. All information, photographs, and other materials are copyrighted, and may not be reproduced without prior written consent of the Wyandotte Nation.

Page 2

Wyandotte Nation / Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

Board of Directors
Chief........................................Billy Friend
Second Chief.....Norman Hildebrand, Jr.
Councilperson.................... Ramona Reid
Councilperson........................ Vivian Fink
Councilperson......... Juanita McQuistion
Councilperson.......................Eric Lofland

Content
CALENDAR.............................................. 3
Annual Meeting Notice........................ 3
COVID-19 Changes............................... 4
Service Awards........................................ 4
Wyandotte YOUniversity.................. 5-6
WTOK closes casinos temporarily....... 5
Tribal Department Reports............. 7-12
Important Numbers............................. 11

Editor/Design: William Swaim
Cover Photo:
A collection of
courtesy photos
during the recent COVID-19
changes.

Contact Us
Submit a story idea or your latest news
and photos. To submit, email William
Swaim at wswaim@wtok.org or call
(918) 932-4778.

Have News?
Share it
We want to hear from you! Send us
news or stories you may have or suggest
features for us to work on.

Email: wswaim@wtok.org

www.youtube.com/WyandotteNation

www.facebook.com/WyandotteNation

From the Chief

May 2020

Billy Friend

Facing the challenge
Dear Wyandotte Citizens:
We are all clearly aware the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is highly
contagious and dangerous. We have
received specific warnings and directions from the National Institutes of
Health and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention.
At the Wyandotte Nation, we have
taken across-the-board action to dull
the impact of the virus and keep
Wyandotte citizens, employees and
our customers safe.
In mid-March, we announced the
closure of a number of Wyandotte
facilities. These closures included
our Title VI Program (Elder Nutrition Center) inside meals, Preschool
and Childcare Facilities, Wyandotte
cultural sites and all Wyandotte
casinos.
I want to commend our Elder
Nutrition Center employees for
continuing to go above and beyond
to make sure our elders are served
meals both through a drive through
take-out approach and by delivering
meals to our local elders.
These closures represent the significance of this public health crisis.
We simply cannot take incremental

steps in our actions. We must do
all we can to keep people safe even
when it results in economic and
social impacts on the Wyandotte
Nation.
We will continue to compensate
our employees during this time of
emergency, and we will endeavor to
maintain all essential programs and
services at proper levels.
Our Bearskin Clinic remains open
and our caregivers are dedicated to
serving our Wyandotte and other
community patients. We are fortunate to have our remarkable medical professionals and health care
support staff. They are sacrificing
daily to ensure our patients are well
cared for.
The actions we can take on our
own as individuals and families are
simple and straightforward. The key
is to practice those directions fully
and regularly.
All of us at the Wyandotte Nation take this national public health
emergency very seriously. We are
doing all we can to protect people
from the virus, and ensure they have
the essentials they need during this
period.

From the Second Chief

We are taking it in stages, but the
truth is — as someone said yesterday in the media — “we don't make
the timeline, the virus makes the
timeline”.
Fortunately the Tribe has strong
reserves and can operate without
major disruptions for a while, but
there is a limit and a time that if this
continues we will have to make some
hard decisions.
Our Emergency Response Team
will continue to meet on a weekly
basis to re-evaluate the situation and
determine our plans going forward.
We will post updates to our website
based upon the best available information and through social media as
they occur.
We can conquer this challenge if
we will all stick together and do the
things we know we need to do. This
is a time when we must look out
for each other, and for the common
good of our Tribe, our state and our
country.
Thank you for joining in this effort
and may God bless you and may
God continue to bless the Wyandotte
Nation.

Norman Hildebrand, Jr.

We are a hardy, reslient people
Kweh Omateru
As I am sitting here thinking
about what to write during one of
the biggest pandemics to hit the
United States since the Spanish
Flu that ravaged the U.S. over 100
years ago, the only thing that comes
to mind is what Indian Country has
endured since first contact with the
Europeans. Up until the mid 1530s
when the Europeans first wandered
into our world, the American Indians
were disease free, lived in a near

perfect Utopian Society except for
a war with another tribe now and
then. We even survived contact with
the Norsemen and they think Asians
sometime in the 11th and 12th centuries. It would be a good guess that
the natives fought fiercely with them
and sent them back to where they
had come, if only the Wampanoag’s
would have done the same thing with
the Pilgrims I am sure we would
have been a lot better off.
Since then the American Indians

have been through numerous epidemics some natural but let us not
forget the ones that were man made.
Like the Small Pox laced blankets
that the Federal Government gave to
the Great Plains Tribes. They would
never admit to it but it happened,
because I have personally seen
some of the graves in South Dakota.
We have lived through many Flu

See SECOND CHIEF, Page 3

May 2020

www.wyandotte-nation.org

Page 3

Upcoming Events

2020
Gathering of Little Turtles

Cancelled

Fireworks Celebration!

July

Sept.
9 - 11

2

Town Hall Meetings

Annual Meeting

31st Annual Pow-Wow

Sept.
11 - 13

The Gathering

Oct.
3-4

Sept.
12
10 am

Newport Beach
& Sacramento,
Calif.

All events in Wyandotte, Okla. unless otherwise noted

2nd Chief

Continued from Page 2

epidemics, Measles, Rubella, Tetanus, Malaria, Polio, and let us not
forget the massacres of men, women
and children. We have survived
everything that nature and man has
thrown at us and yet we survive and
we will keep on surviving because
that is in our blood. We are a hardy
resilient people from the beginning of
time to centuries yet to come we will
be here for eternity.
I hope everyone is staying at home
and practicing the safety measures
put forth to help us get through
COVID-19 -- which we will. People
are finding various ways to stay
entertained now that they can’t
get out and socialize. Some people
put puzzles together, watch a lot of
stupid stuff on television (believe me
there is a lot of stupid stuff on TV) or
do something the old fashioned way
and read a book. I am reading a book
“The Girl in the Photograph” written by former U.S. Senator Byron
Dorgan. Another excellent book is
“The Killers of the Flower Moon”

“Corporations have been enthroned …. An era of corruption in high places will follow and the money power
will endeavor to prolong its reign by working on the
prejudices of the people… until wealth is aggregated
in a few hands … and the Republic is destroyed.”
-- Abraham Lincoln

about the killing of dozens of Osage
Indians in the 1920s right here in
Oklahoma. Whatever you choose to
do to kill time, whether it is reading,
gardening, painting, beading or any
other craft or hobby, please be safe.
This will be a short article not
much going on right now in Wyandotte, Okla., most everything is shut
down. We have only our essential
employees working accounting, Title
VI (they are only doing carry outs at
the front door). Turtle Stop is still
open but only for limited hours, the
clinic pharmacy is still open but they
will meet you at the door with meds.
Getting through a crisis like this
takes some very dedicated people
and we have the best people working for us, they don’t complain they

just get in there and do whatever
needs to be done they are absolutely
the best. They make the Wyandotte
Nation what it is: the best in the
country.
We are building a new administration building south of the fitness
center and they are making pretty
good progress. They would be doing
better if the rain would hold off,
we have gotten twice as much rain
than normal so far this year. The
long anticipated state line water line
project will soon be starting I signed
the contract on it about a week ago
so they will be starting it very soon.
During these difficult times we must
all work together to overcome the
difficulties that will in the end only
make us stronger.

P ublic
N otice
Notice of Annual Meeting
On September 12, 2020 the
Wyandotte Nation shall hold their
Annual Meeting at the Bearskin
Fitness Center Gymnasium near
Wyandotte, Oklahoma. Registration
will begin at 9 am and the Annual
Meeting will start at 10 am. Please
note that citizens will be required
to present their Wyandotte Nation
membership/citizenship card to
register for the meeting.
The Election Committee of the Wyandotte Nation has determined that
there are no contested posts for elective
office within the government of the Wyandotte Nation for 2020. Therefore, it is
not necessary to hold an election at the
tribe’s annual meeting on Saturday,
September 12, 2020 per the Wyandotte
Nation Constitution.
-- Dee Killion, Chairman, Election
Committee

Page 4

Wyandotte Nation / Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

May 2020

Changes made to slow virus spread
Leadership to formulate plan for reopening

The Wyandotte Nation, as part
of our ongoing effort to reduce the
spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus),
made several changes to keep our
citizens, employees and guests safe
in March and April. Tribal leadership is currently working on a
plan for reopening. Please visit our
website, www.wyandottenation.org,
or our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/wyandottenation to keep

VACANCY
ANNOUNCEMENT:
The Wyandotte Nation Tribal
Court is in search of an individual
to fill the position of Supreme Court
Justice.
To be eligible for selection or
confirmation as a Justice of the
Supreme Court, a person shall: if an
attorney, be a licensed attorney who
is in good standing with the licensing authorities where licensed; who
possesses a demonstrated background in tribal court practice, and
have demonstrated moral integrity
and fairness in his business, public
and private life, and have never been
convicted of a felony or an offense
punishable by banishment, whether
or not actually imprisoned or banished, and have not been convicted
of any offense, except traffic offenses,
for a period of two years next preceding his appointment. The two year
period shall begin to run from the
date the person was unconditionally
released from supervision of any sort
as a result of a conviction.
The candidate must have regularly abstained from the excessive use
of alcohol and use of illegal drugs or
psychotoxic chemical solvents. The
candidate must not be less than (25)
twenty-five years of age.
Indian preference will apply for
qualified candidates.
Please submit your resume’ or CV
to Jan Grant, Court Administrator
via email to jgrant@wyanodttenation.org by May 31, 2020.

up with the latest regarding this
situation.
The following are the changes
made back in March and will continue until otherwise posted on our
website or social media. We thank
everyone for your patience.
• The Wyandotte Nation has operated with essential employees and
limited public access to emergency
services, which was effective March

18. If services are needed, please
call or email.
• The Bearskin Fitness Center
was closed March 17.
• Turtle Tots (including preschool,
and childcare) was closed March 19.
• Wyandotte Nation Cultural
Center was closed March 18.
• Elders Services (Title VI) will
continue to serve lunch as TAKE
OUT ONLY from 11 am – 1 pm. No

public access to the building will be
allowed during this time. Staff will
be available to deliver meals to your
vehicle. Please stay in your vehicle
and drive through the driveway.
• Housing – Activity Center and
Community Center was closed
March 17.
• The Bearskin Clinic will provide
limited services. Please call before
coming to the clinic. Pharmacy
services will continue.
For changes made regarding our
businesses, see page 5.

Service Awards

William Swaim/Wyandotte Nation
On Thursday, March 5, the Wyandotte Nation honored six employees for their service. Chief Billy Friend and
Second Chief Norman Hildebrand honored Kathy DeWeese for her 25 years of service, Steve Walker for 20
years, Don Graham for 10, and Debra Haynes, Teresa Wilson and Rob Graham for five years of service.
(Pictured from left) Second Chief Norman Hildebrand, Kathy DeWeese, Debra Haynes, Steve Walker, Don
Graham, Rob Graham, and Chief Billy Friend. Not pictured: Teresa Wilson.

May 2020

www.wyandotte-nation.org

Page 5

First classes graduate from Wyandotte YOUniversity
By William Swaim
Wyandotte Nation

Wyandotte YOUniversity graduated its first classes from employees
at River Bend Casino & Hotel in
Wyandotte and 7th Street Casino
in Kansas City recently. Wyandotte Tribe of Oklahoma (WTOK)
celebrated their accomplishments
Wednesday, Feb. 26 at the River
Bend Casino & Hotel and March 3
at 7th Street.
The graduates from River Bend
included Tara Martinez, Lori Clark,
Kristia Fox, Melissa Asaro, Carrie
Sargent, Joanna Hadley, and Shirley
Mangold.
“When someone completes four
years of college or four years of
training on the job, all it does is
strengthen the team, and makes us
better at what we do day in and day
out,” said River Bend Casino & Hotel General Manager Gary Johnson
at the ceremony. “We’ve invested in
you and hopefully you have invested
in yourself, and those two things put
together make a great team.”
The graduates from 7th Street
included John Maxwell, Larry Anderson, Kelsie Dice, Mica Chambers,
Anna Salzano, and Kim Bary.
“It has been a pleasure working
and learning with the 7th Street
team for the past four years of
this training program,” said Edie
Ingram, Manager of Training and
Organization Development. “They
take training serious and were
willing to go above and beyond what
was asked of them.”
The graduates of Wyandotte
YOUniversity completed a four-year
leadership development program.

William Swaim/Wyandotte Nation
Vera Hernandez congratulates Shirley Mangold on her recent graduation from Wyandotte YOUniversity.

The purpose of Wyandotte YOUniversity’s Leadership Development
Program is to prepare employees for
current and future leadership roles
by providing a structured program of
study of essential leadership competencies.
“Our purpose is to provide training

and develop leaders and to equip
those same leaders with tools to become better leaders and to empower
them to lead once they complete
our program,” said Ingram. “I am
so excited about where we are now
with this program.”
The program begins with Motive

Matters, which includes a personality assessment that provides growth
in self-awareness and relationship
building. The program includes
classroom training facilitated by
See YOUNIVERSITY, Page 6

WTOK to keep casinos closed through April
based upon the best availTurtle Stop in Wyandotte adjusts hours website
able information and through social
The Wyandotte Nation will keep
the River Bend Casino & Hotel and
the Lucky Turtle Casino in Wyandotte, and the 7th Street Casino in
Kansas City closed through April.
“The health and safety of our
citizens, employees, and our guests
continues to be of utmost importance to us,” Chief Billy Friend

said. "We are committed to following
the recommendations released by
federal health officials to ensure we
are protecting the public."
The Tribe’s Emergency Response
Team will continue to meet on a
weekly basis to re-evaluate the
situation and determine plans going
forward. We will post updated to our

media as they occur.
"Unfortunately, we don't know
when it will be safe for operations
to resume, but with the support of
federal and tribal health experts, we
are working to determine our next
best steps," Chief Friend said.
Change in hours at Turtle Stop:

Our Turtle Stop in Wyandotte has
new hours. The Turtle Stop will be
open from 5 am to 11 pm daily. For
the time being gas will not be available at the pump when the store
is closed, however we are working
out a way to have pay at the pump
services when the store is closed. We
will keep you updated when that
might be available.

Page 6

Wyandotte Nation / Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

May 2020

YOUNIVERSITY
Continued from Page 5
Edie Ingram, Manager of Training
and Organizations Development.
Outside speakers also provide
classroom training. The program
provides on-demand online access to
over 14,000 online training videos
that address topics important to
leaders in today’s workforce.
The goals in the program are:
• Identify members with potential
to become leaders and invest in their
professional growth and development;
• Provide these high potential
leaders with skills required to step
into leadership positions;
• Energize and grow Strong leadership at all levels of the business;
• Increase the future leaders’ knowledge of leadership qualities, techniques

and the business/profession.
Graduates of the program must
complete four years of training with
a 100 percent attendance rate as
well as completing 100 percent of the
online assignments. This is quite an
accomplishment and we are proud
of these graduates and look forward
to a future of developing more great
leaders through Wyandotte YOUniversity.
“I don’t think we could emphasize
enough how important the graduates today are to what we are doing
every day,” said WTOK CEO Kelly
Carpino. “You are the key to motivating our people to accomplish we
need to get done to create the best
experience for our guests. I just want
to express my gratitude for the effort
you put into the program.”

William Swaim/Wyandotte Nation
(PICTURED TOP RIGHT) -- Back Row (from left): Cage/Vault Manager Vera
Hernandez, Senior Controller, Gaming Division, Carla King, EVS Supervisor
Tara Martinez, Purchasing Coordinator Lori Clark, Revenue Audit Manager
Kristia Fox, Operations Compliance Officer Melissa Asaro, Dining Supervisor
Carrie Sargent, Facilities Manager Reilly McLaughlin, General Manager Gary
Johnson. Front Row (from left): Marketing Manager Joanna Hadley, Cage Vault
Supervisor Shirley Mangold, CEO Kelly Carpino, and Manager of Training and
Organization Development Edie Ingram.
(PICTURED BOTTOM RIGHT) -- Front Row (from left): Edie Ingram, Kim Bary,
Jerrell Royal, Jillian Rainingbird. Back Row (from left): Kelly Carpino, Anna
Salzano, John Maxwell, Mica Chambers, Kevin Lien, and Brad Waddell. Graduates not pictured: Larry Anderson, Kelsie Dice.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous
Women Awareness Month
Native American and Alaska Native women face higher rates of violence than the general populace with
more than four out of five indigenous
women experiencing some type of
violence in their lifetime, according
to a study from the National Institute of Justice. That violence can
include stalking, sexual violence or
physical or psychological aggression
by an intimate partner.
According to the urban institute
report, 5,712 cases of missing
American Indian and Alaska Native
women and girls were reported to
the National Crime Information
Center in 2016 alone.

Overall, more than 1.5 million
American Indian and Alaska Native
women have experienced violence in
their lifetime, which contributes to
the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls,
according to the study.
Many of the women who do end up
the victims of abduction or murder
were previously assaulted, often by
their partner. If you or someone you
know needs help leaving a violent
relationship please call Lisa Arnold
at (918) 678-6324 or the National,
Native Specific Domestic Violence
hotline, Strong Hearts at (844) 7NATIVE (762-8483).

May 2020

Human Resources

www.wyandotte-nation.org

Page 7

T ribal D epartment R eports
Family Services

Submitted by Deana Howard, HR
Director

Submitted by Dana Butterfield,
Family Services Director

The Wyandotte Nation Education
Department would like to welcome Lysa
Ellis as a part-time
After School Childcare Assistant and
Tracy Mooney as
an Early Childhood
Food Service Cook.
Lysa graduated from Wyandotte
High School in 2005.
Her hobbies include
baking and cooking,
ELLIS
reading, and DIY
projects. She also
enjoys spending time with her family,
movie nights, and walks in the park,
fishing and swimming. We are happy
to have Lysa join our team.
Tracy comes to us with previous food
service experience
and loves working
with children. Tracy
transferred from one
of our other entities.
She enjoys spending
time with her family
and friends. We are
very fortunate to
have Tracy on our
team and wish her
MOONEY
the best of luck in
her new position.
The Facilities Department welcomes
David (D.J.) Burleson as a Facilities
Technician. D.J. is a Cherokee Nation
Tribal Citizen. He graduated from Wyandotte High School. He received his
Associates Degree
from NEO A&M
College, attended
Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford,
Okla., and has taken
courses in electrical
and HVAC. D.J.
has several years
of experience in the
BURELSON
construction field.
D.J.’s hobbies include playing pool,
throwing darts, and shooting traditional
long bows. He enjoys spending time
with his wife, working on their place,
and hunting, and fishing together. D.J.
is a transfer from River Bend Casino
& Hotel. We are very fortunate to have
D.J. on our team and wish him much
success in his new position.

During this monumental time of
uncertainty in our country, I encourage
our citizens to reflect on their heritage.
While we have never had to deal with
conditions such as they are now, our
ancestors had to endure many trials
and because of their strength and
resilience, we are a strong and vibrant
Nation today.
As I write this article, the majority
of Wyandotte Nation employees are
either working from home or off due to
the coronavirus. Indian Child Welfare
workers are continuing to have contact
with Wyandotte children in custody via
either phone or video and are providing
assistance to families through preservation resources. The Domestic Violence Advocates are also working with
their clients to ensure their safety. A
member of the Family Services staff
is in the office daily to answer questions and process mail. I would like to
thank all of our front line workers who
continue to provide services during this
pandemic and look forward to a time
when this has passed and we can all be
working together again for the good of
our Tribe and country.
In accordance with the Wyandotte
Nation Constitution, the Annual Meeting will be held the second Saturday in
September. The date and time for this
year’s meeting will be Sept. 12 at 10
am, with registration opening at 9 am.
There will not be an election this year,
but tribal citizens are still required to
show either their Membership card
or Citizenship card to register for
the meeting and receive their travel
gift certificates. Both of these cards
include your roll number; the CDIB
(Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood)
card/certificate is NOT sufficient, as it
does not provide proof of enrollment.
I want to apologize to Mr. George
Nickel as his name was inadvertently
left off of the new member lists that
were shared in the November and
February newsletters.
Below you will find details about
all of the programs available through
the Family Services Department. If
you have questions or need additional
information please don’t hesitate to
contact a member of the staff:
Dana Butterfield, Director, (918)
678-6319; Tara Gragg, ICW Supervisor, (918) 678-6355; Leeanna

Radabaugh, Family Services Assistant,
(918) 678-6329; Tiffany Garner, ICW
Social Worker, (918) 678-6353; Lisa
Arnold, Domestic Violence & Sexual
Assault Advocate Supervisor, (918)
678-6324; and Cesilie Hale OVC
Domestic Violence Advocate, (918)
678-3269.
LIHEAP – Summer LIHEAP will
be available July 1 for tribal citizens
residing in Oklahoma and is income
based. This is a small grant, so funding is limited and is available on a first
come, first serve basis.
School Supplies – PLEASE READ
APPLICATIONS CAREFULLYINCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS
WILL BE RETURNED FOR CORRECTIONS: Applications will be available
beginning July 1 on the Wyandotte
Nation website, at the Family Services
office or can be faxed/emailed. Tribal
citizens residing in the 4-state area
(OK, KS, AR, MO) can receive a $100
Walmart gift card or submit receipts
for reimbursement up to $100. Please
note there are separate applications
for the gift card and reimbursement.
The correct application must be used.
Tribal citizens who reside outside of
the 4-state area will be eligible for
the $100 reimbursement program.
Eligible items for the program are
school supplies, clothing, shoes, socks

and school supply fees charged by
schools. Applications must be received
or postmarked by Sept. 30, 2020, no
exceptions. Applications and receipts
must be original documents. Faxed or
emailed applications and receipts will
not be accepted. There will be additional information available with the
applications beginning July 1.
Senior Energy – Please note this
program is available Nationwide to
tribal citizens 55 and older. Beginning
July 1 applications will be available
for $100 assistance paid directly to the
utility provider. Applications must be
received or postmarked by Sept. 30. If
this is the first time using the program
please allow 30-60 days to process.
Elders Assistance – One-time expense for $250 for tribal elders aged 55
and over who reside in the 4-state area
(OK, KS, AR, MO). Applications must
be received or postmarked by Sept. 30,
2020 to be eligible.
Extra-Expense/Extracurricular
Activities – One-time payment of $100
per student aged Pre – K through 12th
grade for tribal citizens who reside in
the 4-state area (OK, KS, MO, AR).
Applications must be received or postmarked by Sept. 30.
Jr/Sr Benefit - $250 benefit for
expenses associated with the Junior

Continued on Page 8

Wyandotte Nation
Family Services Programs
Dates to Remember

Elder’s Assistance: Oct. 1 – Sept. 30
Senior Energy - Winter: Oct. 1 – Feb. 28
Senior Energy - Summer: July 1 – Sept. 30
LIHEAP - (if available) Winter: Dec. 1 – Feb. 28
LIHEAP - (if available) Summer: July 1 – Sept. 30
School Supplies: July 1 – Sept. 30
Children’s Winter Clothing: Nov. 1 – Feb. 28
Extracurricular Activities: Oct. 1 – Sept. 30
Jr./Sr. High School Assistance: Oct. 1 – Sept. 30
Wyandotte Nation Annual Meeting: Sept. 12
Children’s Christmas Party: Dec. 12
(Second Saturday of September each year)
Note: All applications must be in our office or post marked on or before
the last day of the program.

Page 8

Continued from Page 7
and Senior years of High School. This
benefit is available to Wyandotte Nation citizens who reside in the 4-state
area (OK, KS, MO, AR) and applications must be received or postmarked
by Sept. 30, 2020.
Fuel Assistance – Fuel assistance
programs include: Hardship – personal hardships, travel for work/job
interviews, etc. Medical – travel to/
from doctor/dental appointments and
pick up prescriptions. Major Medical – extreme medical issues (must be
life threaten, terminal, etc. not chronic
medical issues) that require multiple
trips outside of the local area. Program
provides fuel vouchers through the
Turtle Stop convenience store for local
tribal citizens or tribal citizens who
travel to the Bearskin Healthcare and
Wellness Center.
Child Safety Seats - Each child is
eligible for three seats in different sizes
and must be picked up at the tribal
office.
Promoting Safe & Stable Families/Indian Child Welfare – This
program is funded through a federal
grant from the Administration for Children and Families. It is designed to
help keep children in their homes with
the family, or ensure that if there is a
need for removal, federal guidelines
are adhered to and the best interest
of the child is considered first and
foremost. If you are involved in a child
welfare case please contact either Tara
or Tiffany. We often get calls requesting assistance with civil matters such
as divorces and custody issues between
parents. The Tribe is not an eligible
party to those types of cases and are
unable to assist at this time.
Enrollment – Aug. 15 is the deadline to be considered for enrollment at

Wyandotte Nation / Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

T ribal D epartment R eports
the 2020 Annual Meeting. Applications must be submitted along with an
original state certified birth certificate.
Applications received after this date
will be held until the 2021 Annual
Meeting so it’s important to get those
applications in on time.
New Enrollee Benefit - If a child’s
application is received prior to their
first birthday they will receive a $100
Walmart gift card and a blanket with
the Tribal Turtle.
Tribal Tags – Available for tribal
citizens who reside in Oklahoma. Passenger, RV, Motorcycle and Handicap
tags are available. Please call the
office for prices and additional information. Some things to keep in mind
when renewing tags and purchasing
new vehicles:
Tribal citizen’s name MUST be
on the title at the time of sale. Tax
Commission staff cannot add or delete
names.
Renewal notices are mailed as a
courtesy by the 15th of the month prior
to the expiration.
Current insurance verification is
required. Please have a paper copy of
this when coming to the office.
Supplemental Health Benefit (Benny Card) - $1,000 per year
benefit for adult (18 and over) tribal
citizens beginning Jan. 1 each year.
Tribal citizens who have enrolled Wyandotte Nation dependents will receive
an additional $1,000 for a maximum of
$2,000 per account. Quarterly statements are mailed by Trustmark to
show remaining balances. Account balances can also be obtained at any time
via www.mytrustmarkbenefits.com or
by calling (800) 990-9058 ext 42086.
Family Services staff can also answer
questions about the program, but may
need to refer you to CoreSource in

Start your journey today

some instances. Please keep in mind
that your Member ID # is not your
social security number. Your Member
ID looks like this: WY000(your 4 digit
roll number). If your roll number is
only 3 digits you will add a 0 (zero) to
the beginning of your roll number.
Burial Assistance - $1,500 to be
paid to the funeral home or to the family representative if the funeral is paid
in full.
Family Violence Prevention Program – Program provides advocacy
and services to victims/survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating
violence and stalking. This program is
available to any person residing within
a 25-mile radius of the tribal headquarters and limited advocacy can be
provided for Wyandotte Nation citizens
nationwide. The Program also hosts
quarterly culture events, in conjunction with the Heritage Department.
Foster Family Recruitment –
Indian Child Welfare social workers
are actively seeking foster families. If
you think this might be something you
would be interested in please contact
the office for more information.
Family Services Staff:
Director, Dana Butterfield, (918) 6786319, dbutterfield@wyandotte-nation.org
ICW Supervisor, Tara Gragg, (918)
678-6355, tgragg@wyandotte-nation.org
ICW Worker, Tiffany Garner, (918)
678-6353, tgarner@wyandotte-nation.org
Assistant, Leeanna Radabaugh, (918)
678-6329, lradabaugh@wyandottenation.org
DV Advocate/Educator Supervisor,
Lisa Arnold, (918) 678-6324, lisaarnold@wyandotte-nation.org
DV Advocate, Cesilie Hale, (918) 6783269, chale@wyandotte-nation.org

You don’t have to be perfect to be a foster parent!

Every year thousands of children are placed in foster care. When a child who is a member or is eligible
for membership in the Wyandotte Nation is placed
into foster, the ideal situation is for that child to be
either with family or in another Wyandotte tribal
home. Children need a safe, loving place to stay. That is all you need to start the process of becoming a foster parent. It doesn’t matter where you live, please contact the Family Services Department
to start your journey today.

May 2020

Education
Submitted by Cristi Hudson, Education Director
Kweh,
I hope this article finds you and your
family safe and well! The Education
Department is doing our best to help
flatten the curve of the COVID 19 pandemic that we are all currently facing.
Our offices are currently closed to foot
traffic, but we are available by email and
phone. We are going into the office to
check mail and to answer any messages
almost daily throughout the week. For
immediate assistance, you may call (918)
533-0072, and I will be able to assist you,
or you can send me an email at chudson@wyandotte-nation.org.
The Child Care and Development
Fund program is currently accepting
applications for families that are in need
of childcare assistance. If you are in need
of childcare assistance and have not applied, we would be happy to assist in getting an application to you. Parents must
be working or attending school to apply.
To be eligible for the Wyandotte Nation
CCDF program, a household member
must obtain a CDIB or tribal card. To
request and application, or if you have
any questions, you can email Sami Butterfield, our Child Care Coordinator, at
sbutterfield@wyandotte-nation.org; or
you can call her office at (918) 678-6330.
The Wyandotte Nation Library is
rearranging the many books and movies, which the library currently checks
out to the patrons, into the new area we
recently added for our toddler, preschool,
afterschool, and summer programs. The

Continued on Page 9

TAG REMINDERS:
• Must be an enrolled citizen of the
Wyandotte Nation, an Oklahoma
resident AND the car must be principally garaged in Oklahoma Indian
country.
• Oklahoma Insurance Verification
must accompany renewals (except
for RV’s and Travel Trailers).
• If you are purchasing a new/used
vehicle, the Tribal citizen’s name
MUST be on the Title at the time of
assignment. Wyandotte Nation Tax
Commission staff CAN NOT add or
delete names.
For questions, please call (918) 6786329 or (918) 678-6319

May 2020

Continued from Page 8
Library will have new hours once we open
back up to the public. The new hours will
be Monday through Thursday 8 am to
5:30 pm and Friday 8 am to 3:30 pm.
The Wyandotte Nation Scholarship
Program is currently processing the
spring semester scholarships. Here are
a few Wyandotte Nation Undergraduate
Scholarship reminders:
• Undergraduate scholarships are
limited to eight (8) semesters.
• Students will be placed on probation
for failure to complete 12 hours or more
with a minimum of a 2.0 GPA.
• Students will be allowed one probationary semester during the programs
duration.
• Deadline for spring submission is
February 15.
• Deadline for fall submission is May 1.
If you have sent in the required
paperwork and have not received the
scholarship for the current semester,
please email the office to make sure the
paperwork has been received. Email
Evan Hotulke, our Education Specialist,
at ehotulke@wyandotte-nation.org.
The Wyandotte Nation Education
Department also oversees the WIOA
program. These funds are available to
assist members of federally recognized
tribes residing in Crawford and Cherokee Counties in Southeast Kansas or
Barry, Barton, Dade, Jasper, Lawrence,
Newton and McDonald Counties in
Southwest Missouri.
WIOA eligibility requirements include:
• You must be Native America, Alaska
Native, or Native Hawaiian
• Possess a C.D.I.B. card
• Member of a federally recognized tribe
• Must be a resident of the service
area listed above
To obtain any of the scholarships that
Wyandotte Nation offers, email your
request or any questions that you may
have to Evan, ehotulke@wyandottenation.org, or you can request one by
calling his office at (918) 678-6331.
We are available to assist you with
the application process in any of our
programs and we look forward to working with you soon.
Department Contacts:
Cristi Hudson – Education Director,
(918) 678-6334 or chudson@wyandottenation.org
Sami Butterfield – Childcare Coordinator – CCDF, (918) 678-6330 or
sbutterfield@wyandotte-nation.org
Lindsay Cooper – Early Childhood
Program Coordinator, (918) 678-3267 or
lcooper@wyandotte-nation.org
Evan Hotulke—Education Specialist,
(918) 678-6331 or ehotulke@wyandottenation.org

www.wyandotte-nation.org

Page 9

T ribal D epartment R eports
Tribal Police Department
Submitted by Glenn Johnston,

Chief of Police

We want to thank everyone who
participated in the Pancake Feed. It was
a bigger success than we anticipated, due
to the present worldwide condition. The
employees of Title VI were there for us and
made it as great as it was! Thank you so
very much guys!
I want to let everyone know that even
during the test of times we are experiencing, the storm shelters located on Wyandotte Nation property, WILL be open
should severe weather decide to rear its ugly head. It is there for the taking,
it will be strictly up to each individual if he or she decide to take advantage of
the facilities. Safety is first and foremost, and that sounds like a double edged
sword. Especially with the virus. I would just ask that each person take the
precautionary steps to stay healthy or as close to it if, and when, the severe
weather arrives. If anyone does decide not to take advantage of the storm
shelters, hopefully the quarantine phase will pass by then, just put together a
little kit that could save you some time and trouble down the road:
• Weather Radios: Most of the weather radios are a very good tool due to the
fact that most of the television weather is coming to us from televisions north
of us. The weather radio monitors weather stations in the Tulsa, Okla., area
where most of the bad weather seems to develop before heading our way.
• Cell Phones: Make sure you have your cell phone charged up when you
know severe weather is a possibility. An extra charged battery is not a bad
idea either. Keep that charging cord close.
• Storage for your important documents: Find yourself a good waterproof
container to put your photo ID’s, birth certificates, deeds or leases and photographs of belongings. Especially those with a serial number.
• First Aid Kit: If you can find yourself a second container, keep some gauze
bandages, gloves, medications and prescription drugs in it. It’s so much easier
to grab one thing and know that everything you may need is right there.
• Rain gear: Keep yourself a poncho and rubber boots in a convenient area.
• Cash or Travelers Checks: Even the ATM machines and the card reader
at the local retailers could be vulnerable to the bad weather. Keep $50 to $100
dollars stashed away for that rainy day.
• Whistle or Horn: If you do get caught in a storm and need to get someone’s
attention, try storing a couple of the Freon Air Horns away in that piece of
Tupperware you have labeled as “FIRST AID KIT.” Even something as simple
as a whistle is a great source of getting someone’s attention as well.
Get geared up for National Night Out coming up in October. It will be here
before you know it!

Elder Services
Submitted by Brenda House, Elder
Services Director
What an unusual St Patrick’s Day we
had! On March 17, with the COVID-19
Virus, lurking around, we chose to close
our congregate meal program and hold
drive through meals only for the safety
of our elders and employees.
With the shortage of toilet paper, we
were very blessed to find a stash in our out
building so we started handing toilet paper
out with our meals. I think they were
more excited over the toilet paper than the
meals! Some of the elders bring their fur

babies with them to pick up their meals so
we have treats for them as well.
Chief Billy Friend, Family Services
Director Dana Butterfield and other volunteers are helping deliver meals to our
elders in the housing addition behind the
Tribe while other volunteers are helping
the Title VI Staff cook and package the
meals for the drive thu. We greatly appreciate everyone that has stepped up to
help make sure that our beloved elders
are getting the best care possible.
Upcoming Events (Subject to
change based on current events):
(Pending) Our Mother’s Day Dinner,
May 7, and Father’s Day Dinner, June 18.

(Pending) Ottawa County Senior Day,
June 11 at the Buffalo Run Casino from
9 am to 1 pm.

CAREGIVER
(Pending) The Caregiver Support
Group meets the first Thursday of each
month in the Artie Nesvold Community
Center (Title VI) Safe Room beginning
at 10:30 am. This group is for all current
and former caregivers. It is also for
Grandparents raising grandchildren.
It is always a pleasure serving the Wyandotte Nation Citizens. Please feel free
to call or come by and visit us anytime.
Department Contacts:
Brenda House, Elder Services Director,
(918) 678-6327.
Stephanie Hamilton, Food Service
Team Supervisor, (918) 678-6328, (Office) 6390
Seth Higginbotham, Chris Rhodes
and Robyn Beaty, Food Service Team
Members (918) 678-6328
Menu, (918) 678-6326

Planning & Natural
Resources
Submitted by Christen Lee, Environmental & Planning Director
January started off with its usual
business of monthly water sampling on
eight sites on streams and rivers within
the Wyandotte Nation jurisdictional
area.
On Jan. 22, environmental staff met
with Wyandotte Schools Teacher Bob
Coffey to provide a recycle collections
trailer for the school. Students from
Mr. Coffey’s class will be in charge
of monitoring the trailer, collecting
recyclables from various classrooms and
drop points within the Grade School, Jr.
High and High School.
On Jan. 29, environmental staff were
able to take part in a Recycling Educa-

Continued on Page 10

Page 10

Important
Numbers
Police Department
Glenn Johnston (918) 678-6365
gjohnston@wntpd.com
Family Services / Enrollment / Tags
Dana Butterfield (918) 678-6319
dbutterfield@wyandotte-nation.org
Leeanna Radabaugh, (918) 678-6329, lradabaugh@wyandotte-nation.org
Family Violence Program
Lisa Arnold, (918) 678-6324, lisaarnold@
wyandotte-nation.org; Cesilie Hale, (918) 6783269, chale@wyandotte-nation.org
Tribal Social Workers
Tara Gragg (918) 678-6355
tgragg@wyandotte-nation.org
Tiffany Garner (918) 678-6353
tgarner@wyandotte-nation.org
Human Resources
Deana Howard (918) 678-6320
dhoward@wyandotte-nation.org
Nutrition & Caregiver Services
Brenda House (918) 678-6327
bhouse@wyandotte-nation.org
Education / Library / Child Care
Cristi Hudson (918) 678-6334
chudson@wyandotte-nation.org
Tribal Heritage
Sherri Clemons (918) 678-6344
sclemons@wyandotte-nation.org
Environmental / Planning / Development
Christen Lee (918) 678-6341
clee@wyandotte-nation.org
Housing
Kathy DeWeese (918) 678-6339
kdeweese@wyandotte-nation.org
Bearskin Healthcare &
Wellness Center
Kelly Friend (918) 678-3259
kfriend@wyandotte-nation.org
Clinic Appointments
Dee Dee Clapp (918) 678-3228
lcoatney@wyandotte-nation.org
Dental / Vision
Ashley Crawford, (918) 678-3221,
acrawford@wyandotte-nation.org
Pharmacy (call-in only)
(918) 678-3244
Fitness Center
Sharon Bartley (918) 678-3231
sbartley@wyandotte-nation.org
Contract Health
Bridget Hart (918) 678-3227
bburleson@wyandotte-nation.org
Diabetes Clinic
Donna Spaulding (918) 678-3258
dspaulding@wyandotte-nation.org

Wyandotte Nation / Gyah'-wish Atak-ia

T ribal D epartment R eports

May 2020

Housing
Submitted by Kathy DeWeese,
Housing Director
Due to COVID-19, our offices have
remained closed to the public. Employees have only been working partial
hours, and only doing essential housing
needs. The Drop Box in the foyer of the
community center is available for all
correspondence and payments. This
includes housing, tags, and Wyandotte
Utilities.
The Heritage Acres Community
Center has also been closed. If you
have a rental date for the center, please
contact our office. Any activities for
April have been cancelled. If you have
a rental in May, contact our office for
information. The Splashpad, which
was scheduled to open May 18, will
probably be delayed. It is our hope that
this will be available soon, but it will
depend on the circumstances.
Nahasda (Native American Hous-

Continued from Page 9
tion Event at Wyandotte Public Schools.
Wyandotte Schools Art Teacher Trenda
Crow and her students received state
recognition for an art project using
recycled materials.

On Jan. 31, Kathleen Welch and
Janice Wilson met with Russell Dutnell
of Riverman Engineering PLC to perform a site walk of an area located on
Sycamore Creek, directly south of the
Pow-Wow Grounds. The purpose of the
site walk is to come up with a design
plan to stop stream bank erosion that
is causing a large portion of the stream
bank to sluff off during high water and
flooding conditions.
On Feb. 4, Kathleen, Janice and Brittany Crowe attended the NE Oklahoma
Tribal Resilience Workshop, which was
hosted by Quapaw Nation at the Downstream Casino Conference Center. Due
to inclement weather, we were unable to
attend the second day of the workshop.
On Feb. 13, EPA Regional Adminis-

ing and Self-Determination Act) is the
program governed by the Department
of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD). Each year a Housing Plan must
be submitted and approved by HUD.
This plan provides for the upkeep of Nahasda units, rental assistance to college
students and down payment assistance,
as well as the day-to-day activities of the
Department.
If you are purchasing a home within
a 50-mile radius of Wyandotte, and
are a first time homebuyer, let us see
if we can help you with down payment
assistance. The participant must meet
income guidelines and be eligible for a
conventional loan.
IHS-121 PROGRAM: This program
is funded through the Department of
Health & Human Services, to ensure
safe drinking water and proper sanitation facilities for our tribal families.
These services include drilling wells,

trator, Acting Chief of Staff, and GAP
Project Officer for Region 6 visited with
Chief Billy Friend, Christen Lee and
Kathleen, to discuss tribal environmental concerns.
Due to the threat of COVID-19, many
of our operational duties have been put
on hold, as staff have been furloughed
indefinitely. During this time, Kathleen
and Christen have been keeping up
with EPA correspondence and calls,
natural resource damages, restoration
calls and webinars.
It was also determined that due to
area schools being closed for the duration of the school year due to the virus,
we decided it was best to cancel our Annual Environmental Festival. This is
sad for us, as we have had this event for
the past 12 years. With that, we look
forward to brighter days, and hopefully
be able to return to a somewhat normal
schedule. Thank you, and stay safe!!!
Save the Date:
Northeast Oklahoma Tribal Resilliance Workshop at Quapaw Nation –
Feb. 4-5, 2020
Services Provided
Private Well Drinking Water Sampling; Private Home Owners Septic Asssessments; Lost Creek Recycle Center.
Department Contacts:
Director Christen Lee, clee@wyandotte-nation.org
Environmental Program Manager
Kathleen Welch, kwelch@wyandotte-

installing septic systems, rural water
hook-ups, and connections to city water and sewer. There are no income
guidelines. Tribal citizens must reside in the following counties: Craig;
Creek; Delaware; Mayes; Nowata;
Okfuskee; Okmulgee; Ottawa; Rogers; Tulsa; Wagoner; Washington.
NOTE: If you have been terminated
at your place of employment, placed
on furlough, or had hours cut due to
COVID-19, you may be eligible for
assistance. Please contact the housing
office at (918) 678-6339.
Department Contacts:
Kathy DeWeese-Housing Director
Don Graham- Housing Specialist
Paul Parker- Project Coordinator
Levi Griffin- Project Coordinator
Larry Hamilton- Residential
Maintenance Technician
Drew Lankford-Residential Maintenance Technician

nation.org
Environmental Technician 1 Janice
Wilson, jwilson@wyandotte-nation.org
Environmental Technician 2 Brittany
Crowe, bcrowe@wyandotte-nation.org
Recycling Center Coordinator John
Quick, jquick@wyandotte-nation.org
Land Management Technician Robby
Graham, rgraham@wyandotte-nation.org
Water Utilities Operator Braulio,
Ramirez bramirez@wyandotte-nation.org
Grant Writer 1 Debbie Dry, ddry@
wyandotte-nation.org
Grant Writer 2 Michael Lowery,
mlowery@wyandotte-nation.org

Tribal Heritage
Submitted by Sherri Clemons,
Tribal Heritage Director
Kwe kwe all! There is not much to write
about due to the fact we have been closed
since March 18. As of right now, we are
canceling our annual golf scramble, which
typically takes place in May. We have also
cancelled the Gathering of Little Turtles
and the LaCrosse Camp as well.
We are still hosting the Gathering
and Pow-Wow on the same dates as of
now as well as our fireworks display.
Stay home and safe. The Cultural
Center is closed until April 30 as of no.
Leadership is continually evaluating
the situation and will determine any
extended closures, postponements or
cancellations.

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Source: Frix Law Library, https://www.frixlaw.com/law-library/documents/tribal%3Awyandotte%3Af79e68852ec9a763. Public record. Not legal advice.